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Access to Inland Water in new Welsh Government Consultation

Extract from Chapter 4 – Access to the OutdoorsEstablish access on inland water
There is an enduring dispute over the rights of those participating in water recreation on rivers and lakes. Implementing proportionate and fair legislation to establish clarity over rights of access as well as ensuring greater consistency with other access areas and activities we believe will help to reduce incidents of unfettered access currently causing confrontation between recreational users and will enhance recreational opportunities on water for locals and visitors. In order to ensure that the interests of other users, land managers and the natural and cultural environments are enhanced and protected with the establishment of access rights to inland water, we are seeking your views on our proposals to extend Part 1 of CRoW Act provisions to all rivers and other inland waters. There would not be a universal right to access water from land adjacent to the water. Access and egress points would need to be identified by a statutory authority and mapped. Access or egress at any other point along the water would only be permissible where needed in an emergency or where permission is granted by the landowner. A level of reduced liability, similar to that already in place on access land under sections 12 and 13 of the CRoW Act could apply to land managers with access and egress points on their land and to the responsible authority for water access. Proposal 14 To extend Part 1 of CRoW Act access land provisions to rivers and other inland waters Proposal 15 To establish NRW as the authority responsible for:
• identifying appropriate access and egress points;
• implementing measures to promote responsible use, including the use of river level indicators; and
• mediating between the different user interests to facilitate user access agreements.

Canoe Wales and British Canoeing have been working together on a response to this consultation. We have prepared a discussion paper showing our views of the proposals, along with our hopes and concerns where applicable.

In a couple of weeks we will have finalised our response, which we will then put forward to paddlers via our two websites, along with a form to enable people to express their support.

It's really vital that as many people as possible show the welsh government how important the proposed changes are. There are many ways people can get involved, including:
- Feedback your thoughts on our proposed response;
- Supporting our full response when finalised;
- Supporting the Waters of Wales response;
- Sending in your own response to the consultation;
- ALL OF THE ABOVE!

For anyone following the BC link above, the email link to environment-officer@canoe.wales doesn't work - it's been formatted as a web link not an email address, so just copy the address and paste it into your email. I've emailed BC to ask them to fix it.

Updating thread with details of the survey as promised, quote below from Canoe Wales:

As you may be aware, the Welsh Government has recently published a consultation document on “Taking Forward Wales’ Sustainable Management of Natural Resources” which contains proposals that would dramatically improve canoeing access to inland waterways in Wales, by:

extending public access on our inland waterways while requiring responsible public behaviour;

enhancing mechanisms for managing access on, to and from our inland waterways;

extending public access to our coast; and

a series of other measures to change the way that recreational access is administered in Wales.

Canoe Wales and British Canoeing have prepared some initial feedback, proposed responses and concerns. Now we would like to hear the views of as many paddlers as possible from across the UK to help us make the best possible response to the Welsh Government.

Once we have collated inputs and finalised our response, we will send you a ‘template’ that you will then be able to use for your own responses to the Welsh Government.

It is vital that there is a strong response to this consultation from all canoeists who are either based in Wales or who contribute to the Welsh economy through their visits to paddle Wales’ rivers, lakes and coasts to paddle, so please take part in this important consultation!

The phrase "reduce incidents of unfettered access currently causing confrontation" does sound a bit like NLP (neuro linguistic programming) that tries to suggest that restrictions must be put in place because allowing "unfettered" access is real bad.

Here in Scotland, we don't actually have a 'Right to roam', rather it's a "Right of Responsible access" (section 2 of the act IIRC). In general it's been doing well, though a few of the well todo folks (e.g. Big houses near Sirling) have managed to get large parts of their 'gardens' removed from reasonable access.

I wish our Welsh contingent well in getting a sensible resolution that is suppportive for all responsible use.